This vitally important volume places the problem of wife beating in a broad cultural context in a search for strategies to reform societies, including our own, that are prone to this pernicious form of violence. Based on first hand ethnographic data on more than a dozen societies, including a number in Oceania, this collection explores the social and cultural factors that work either to inhibit or to promote domestic violence against women. The volume also includes a study of abuse among nonhuman primates and a cross-cultural analysis of the legal aspects of wife beating. By presenting counterexamples from other cultures, contributors challenge Western assumptions about the factors leading to wife beating. Through a close examination of societies where wife beating is infrequent or absent, To Have and To Hit identifies the factors-economic, social, political, and cultural-that must be explored and transformed in order to combat this violence and eventually eliminate it.

Counselling Survivors of Domestic Abuse explains how counsellors can facilitate recovery from domestic abuse within a secure, supportive therapeutic relationship. There has been growing awareness in recent years of the impact and consequences of domestic abuse, especially the relationship between domestic abuse and mental health. To appreciate the nature of trauma caused by domestic abuse, professionals need to understand its complex nature and the psychobiological impact of repeated exposure to control and terror. This book examines the therapeutic techniques and specific challenges, such as secondary traumatic stress, faced by professionals when working with survivors of domestic abuse. The author stresses the importance of identifying domestic abuse so that it can be addressed in the therapeutic process to aid recovery, and explores issues such as safety and protection, the long-term effects of abuse and the importance of grieving to the restoration of hope. This book is essential reading for counsellors, therapists, social workers, mental health professionals, health care professionals including GPs and midwives, managers of refuges, legal professionals and all those working with survivors of domestic abuse.

Marital violence in post-independence Ireland, 1922-96 represents the first comprehensive history of marital violence in modern Ireland, from the founding of the Irish Free State in 1922 to the passage of the Domestic Violence Act and the legalisation of divorce in 1996. Based upon extensive research of under-used court records, this groundbreaking study sheds light on the attitudes, practices, and laws surrounding marital violence in twentieth-century Ireland. While many men beat their wives with impunity throughout this period, victims of marital violence had little refuge for at least fifty years after independence. During a time when most abused wives remained locked in violent marriages, this book explores the ways in which men, women, and children responded to marital violence. It raises important questions about women's status within marriage and society, the nature of family life, and the changing ideals and lived realities of the modern marital experience in Ireland. -- .

For fourteen remarkable years, the Sophia Project in California served over one hundred mothers and children, all of whom were at risk of or had experienced homelessness and abuse. Drawing on the principles of Camphill and a Waldorf approach to child development, staff worked intensively with families, introducing them to daily rhythms and routines, assisting with job applications, shopping and tax forms, and even tutoring to pass tests and exams. Over a period of five years, the families regained confidence and independence. None returned to homelessness or abuse. Same Light, Many Candles is a definitive account of the Sophia Project: its origins, the journey, the families and its eventual end. Both moving and inspiring, it powerfully demonstrates the effect on real lives of structured, caring intervention based on Waldorf principles.

Violence against Indigenous women in Canada is an ongoing crisis, with roots deep in the nation's colonial history. Despite numerous policies and programs developed to address the issue, Indigenous women continue to be targeted for violence at disproportionate rates. What insights can literature contribute where dominant anti-violence initiatives have failed? Centring the voices of contemporary Indigenous women writers, this book argues for the important role that literature and storytelling can play in response to gendered colonial violence. Indigenous communities have been organizing against violence since newcomers first arrived, but the cases of missing and murdered women have only recently garnered broad public attention. Violence Against Indigenous Women joins the conversation by analyzing the socially interventionist work of Indigenous women poets, playwrights, filmmakers, and fiction-writers. Organized as a series of case studies that pair literary interventions with recent sites of activism and policy-critique, the book puts literature in dialogue with anti-violence debate to illuminate new pathways toward action. With the advent of provincial and national inquiries into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, a larger public conversation is now underway. Indigenous women's literature is a critical site of knowledge-making and critique. Violence Against Indigenous Women provides a foundation for reading this literature in the context of Indigenous feminist scholarship and activism and the ongoing intellectual history of Indigenous women's resistance.

This unique book offers an innovative feminist critique of attachment theory that offers an alternative understanding of relationships between women and their babies in domestic violence. Fiona Buchanan identifies a way forward for working with women, babies and people who have grown up with domestic violence focusing on strengths not deficits. In doing so, she raises new possibilities for work with women and babies in other situations where trauma impacts on their relationships. In line with feminist traditions of listening to the voices of women, this book theorizes from research which asks women who birthed and mothered babies in domestic violence about their experiences. The research identifies that women respond with protectiveness when faced with sustained hostility from their partners and protected their babies in many ways not recognised by attachment theorists. However, sustained hostility often targets the growing relationship between women and their babies and limits space for the woman and baby to peacefully relate. This book offers deep insights and a new model for working with women, babies and those who have grown up with violence based on understanding the context of sustained hostility, appreciating women's protectiveness and expanding space where women and babies can relate. The author calls for practitioners across health and welfare settings to explore the situations in which women mother; women's protective thoughts feelings and actions and how they find space to relate. This is the ideal resource for researchers, policy makers and practitioners, as well as women and people who grew up with domestic violence.

Domestic Violence/Strangulation Assessment will teach readers the language of evidence-based evaluative methods of care for strangulation patients. It is designed to standardize anatomic nomenclature, as it relates to the head and neck, for both new and experienced sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) and sexual assault forensic examiners (SAFEs), first responders, medical residents and physicians, nursing students, and nurse practitioners, including nurse midwives, women's health nurse practitioners, pediatric nurse practitioners, and forensic nurse practitioners. Ten new strangulation case studies with a clear history, photographic representation, and confirmation of anatomic landmarks and injuries, along with discussions about existing conditions and their influence, identification of injury, evidence-based collection techniques, and treatment based on current standards of practice. Chapters will also include best practice recommendations and other tools to support evaluation and documentation. Offering this workbook to first responders and health care providers will help fulfill their need for basic, peer-reviewed information and will contribute to continuing competence in care for strangulation patients.

Decriminalizing Domestic Violence asks the crucial, yet often overlooked, question of why and how the criminal legal system became the primary response to intimate partner violence in the United States. It introduces readers, both new and well versed in the subject, to the ways in which the criminal legal system harms rather than helps those who are subjected to abuse and violence in their homes and communities, and shares how it drives, rather than deters, intimate partner violence. The book examines how social, legal, and financial resources are diverted into a criminal legal apparatus that is often unable to deliver justice or safety to victims or to prevent intimate partner violence in the first place. Envisioned for both courses and research topics in domestic violence, family violence, gender and law, and sociology of law, the book challenges readers to understand intimate partner violence not solely, or even primarily, as a criminal law concern but as an economic, public health, community, and human rights problem. It also argues that only by viewing intimate partner violence through these lenses can we develop a balanced policy agenda for addressing it. At a moment when we are examining our national addiction to punishment, Decriminalizing Domestic Violence offers a thoughtful, pragmatic roadmap to real reform.

Overcoming the Stigma of Intimate Partner Abuse addresses the impact of the shame surrounding intimate partner violence and the importance of actively challenging this stigma. Through examples of survivors who have triumphed over past abuse, the book presents a new way to understand the dynamics of abusive relationships as well as demonstrates the strength, resourcefulness, and resilience of victims and survivors. Overcoming the Stigma of Intimate Partner Abuse offers professionals, survivors, and communities an action plan to end stigma, support survivors, advocate for better response systems, raise awareness about abuse, and prevent violence.

Exploring the dynamics between victim and offender is paramount to answering important issues of character and vital for forensic research. This involves examining the role of the victim during and after victimization; this process is especially important for spousal violence because of the interactive process between the victim and the offender. Forensic Psychology of Spousal Violence covers the phenomenon of spousal violence and its different forms, discussing the consequences of abuse, providing research tips to be used in the field, including relevant case studies and much more. The innovative approach of this text fills a void in the current understanding of spousal violence.

Does your partner blame you for his or her own problems?
Does your partner humiliate you, especially in front of others?
Is your partner impossible to please?
Are you convinced something is wrong with you?
Are you too ashamed to admit you are being abused?

In Escaping Emotional Abuse, Beverly Engel, world-renowned therapist and expert in emotional abuse, exposes techniques an abuser uses to break your spirit and gain control - and guides you in how to free yourself from the shame that can keep you from the life, and the love, that you deserve.

By using your deepest fears against you, the abuser strips you of self-esteem, dignity, and humanity - making you feel unworthy and utterly powerless to escape. But you possess a potent tool with which to combat shame: self-compassion. In these pages, Engel shows you how to access it. Using her highly effective Shame Reduction Program, she helps you jumpstart the process of recovery by offering specific steps to help you heal and regain self-confidence.

An invaluable resource for both men and women who suffer from emotional abuse, as well as therapists and advocates, Escaping Emotional Abuse is a supportive, nurturing guide for anyone seeking to break the chains of shame, and gain the emotional freedom to create healthier, lasting relationships.

Thousands of women are murdered every year by close relatives for allegedly violating an unwritten social code or rebelling against the patriarchal order. The book examines the roots and evolution of honour-based violence, as well as the ongoing struggle to eradicate it worldwide.

Violence against women is a pervasive problem in society and responding appropriately to those who experience it and those who perpetrate it is a constant challenge for social work, health and related professions today. This volume seeks to address issues surrounding violence against women at all levels, from its root causes to the specific needs arising in victims of gendered abuse from a particular social or ethnic group. Drawing on the expertise of a range of 'front line' service providers and practitioners as well as academic researchers, it seeks to provide those working in social work and related professions with up-to-date coverage of the major issues pertaining to violence against women, and suggest ways to tackle the rise in violence against women by translating knowledge into effective training and practice. This important book will be essential reading for practising social workers and allied professions, as well as academics and students.

This book is born of a contradiction: on the one hand, there has been a genuine advance in the awareness of male violence and actions to oppose it. On the other, male violence against women persists. So too does its denial, and the counter-attack against those who seek to expose it. Patrizia Romito's extraordinary book analyses male violence against women and children, and the mechanisms society develops to push it out of sight. It describes the links between discrimination, violence against women and violence against children, and uncovers the strategies and tactics used to conceal it, including denial, legitimization, euphemisation, blaming the victim and compartmentalisation. Written in a clear and direct style, the author offers both a synthesis of recent international data and a theoretical analysis of the mechanisms of concealment. It is an essential tool for anyone - professional, researcher or activist - wanting to understand male violence against women and children and to oppose it.

Nordic countries are generally regarded as global welfare role models in terms of their image of being gender equal, child-friendly and culturally tolerant. Consequently, the influence of Nordic welfare systems in transnational academic and policy debates has been immense. By focusing on the vital welfare issue of violence by men to female partners and/or their children, this book seeks to reconsider this over-simplistic image. Drawing on new research from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, the book critically examines how men's violence in families is perceived and responded to in the Nordic context. It pays particular attention to the links between violence to women and violence to children, children's perspectives, professional discourses and responses, and legal and policy approaches. With clear links between research, policy and practice, the book is highly relevant to a wide audience, including academics, researchers and students in the fields of social work, health, criminology, sociology, social policy, gender studies, European studies and law. It is also recommended reading for welfare managers, practitioners, and policy makers.

An in-depth look at how Muslim American organizations address domestic violence within their communities In Peaceful Families, Juliane Hammer chronicles and examines the efforts, stories, arguments, and strategies of individuals and organizations doing Muslim anti-domestic violence work in the United States. Looking at connections among ethical practices, gender norms, and religious interpretation, Hammer demonstrates how Muslim advocates mobilize a rich religious tradition in community efforts against domestic violence, and identify religion and culture as resources or roadblocks to prevent harm and to restore family peace. Drawing on her interviews with Muslim advocates, service providers, and religious leaders, Hammer paints a vivid picture of the challenges such advocacy work encounters. The insecurities of American Muslim communities facing intolerance and Islamophobia lead to additional challenges in acknowledging and confronting problems of spousal abuse, and Hammer reveals how Muslim anti-domestic violence workers combine the methods of the mainstream secular anti-domestic violence movement with Muslim perspectives and interpretations. Identifying a range of Muslim anti-domestic violence approaches, Hammer argues that at certain times and in certain situations it may be imperative to combat domestic abuse by endorsing notions of "protective patriarchy"-even though service providers may hold feminist views critical of patriarchal assumptions. Hammer links Muslim advocacy efforts to the larger domestic violence crisis in the United States, and shows how, through extensive family and community networks, advocates participate in and further debates about family, gender, and marriage in global Muslim communities. Highlighting the place of Islam as an American religion, Peaceful Families delves into the efforts made by Muslim Americans against domestic violence and the ways this refashions the society at large.

Domestic violence and health is one of the first indepth studies within Britain to explore the issue of healthcare professionals' attitudes towards women who are victims of domestic violence. There is a growing interest by healthcare professionals and researchers about the role of healthcare professionals in relation to domestic violence. This book looks at the health experiences of women who are victims of domestic violence and the responses to such injuries by healthcare professionals. The author presents the results of an indepth qualitative study, conducted within Britain, examining domestic violence and health. Women who are treated medically without any acknowledgement of the social, personal and psychological aspects of their condition, are likely to re-present with domestic violence-related injuries. The book includes chapters that look at: current interest both nationally and internationally; why women access health services; an examination of the physical and non-physical effects of domestic violence; the range of treatment options currently favoured by healthcare professionals and the response of patients to them; differentiations in practice between different health professionals; the impact of domestic violence as a social issue on trends in medical training. These issues are considered in light of debates about medicalisation, the function of the sick role, and both biomedical/wound-led, and holistic/person-led approaches to health provision. Key findings are highlighted, and the author provides recommendations for good practice. Domestic violence and health is essential reading for public health administrators and policy makers, healthcare professionals and feminist researchers, activists and advocates.

"Selvaratnam very bravely and compellingly uses her personal experience to shine a light on the global crisis of violence against women. An important book for the women's rights movement, Assume Nothing demonstrates that violence against women exists across race, class, economic status and education levels, and may be perpetrated by those we think of as allies! It dispels the myth that there are certain types of victims and perpetrators. It will help a lot of people, and particularly those who hesitate to identify as a victim/survivor for fear of losing their grounding both publicly and privately."-Yasmeen Hassan, Global Executive Director, Equality Now "This courageous and terrifying book charts the author's descent into an abusive relationship and also her emergence from it in taut, seductive prose. Selvaratnam explains how-even as an educated, sophisticated, liberal feminist-she was enthralled by her lover's fame and tolerated escalating personal violence. Her narrative is vivid and bracingly frank, a tour-de-force of self-revelation and, ultimately, of redemption."-Andrew Solomon, National Book Award-winning author of Far from the Tree and The Noonday Demon Award-winning filmmaker Tanya Selvaratnam bravely recounts the intimate abuse she suffered from former New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, using her story as a prism to examine the domestic violence crisis plaguing America. When Tanya Selvaratnam met then New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman at the Democratic National Convention in July 2016, they seemed like the perfect match. Both were Harvard alumni; both studied Chinese; both were interested in spirituality and meditation, both were well-connected rising stars in their professions-Selvaratnam in entertainment and the art world; Schneiderman in law and politics. Behind closed doors, however, Tanya's life was anything but ideal. Schneiderman became controlling, mean, and manipulative. He drank heavily and used sedatives. Sex turned violent, and he called Tanya-who was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in Southern California-his "brown slave." He isolated and manipulated her, even threatening to kill her if she tried to leave. Twenty-five percent of women in America are victims of domestic abuse. Tanya never thought she would be a part of this statistic. Growing up, she witnessed her father physically and emotionally abuse her mother. Tanya knew the patterns and signs of domestic violence, and did not see herself as remotely vulnerable. Yet what seemed impossible was suddenly a terrifying reality: she was trapped in a violent relationship with one of the most powerful men in New York. Sensitive and nuanced, written with the gripping power of a dark psychological thriller, Assume Nothing details how Tanya's relationship devolved into abuse, how she found the strength to leave-risking her career, reputation, and life-and how she reclaimed her freedom and her voice. In sharing her story, Tanya analyzes the insidious way women from all walks of life learn to accept abuse, and redefines what it means to be a victim of intimate violence.

In the early 1990s policy changes were introduced in the UK in an attempt to increase arrest rates in domestic violence cases. This book examines the criminal justice response to this prevalent form of violence in the light of these changes. In particular, the book discusses the needs and expectations of victims, and how their choices impact on decisions made by police and prosecutors.

The 1990s has witnessed a resurgence of interest and concern in the issue of domestic violence. While women are predominantly targets of this violence, there is now a recognition that children are also significantly affected by violence towards their mothers. This report explores the problems and opportunities presented for child protection workers responding to child abuse that occurred in the context of violence towards the child(ren)'s mother. This particular aspect of domestic violence intervention is frequently overlooked as issues such as policing, child contact, interagency working and offender programmes have gained precedence in the development of intervention strategies. The responses of social services departments to child abuse arising in the context of domestic violence remain some of the most contentious and controversial in this area. This report: gives a detailed account of social work practice in the area of domestic violence, using many case examples which illustrate the barriers to effective intervention; looks in particular at the needs of Asian families in the context of domestic violence and child abuse; recognises the difficulties of developing sensitive child welfare practice in an area where there has been a traditional separation of services for women and services for children; provides good practice examples for overcoming the traditional difficulties in this area. This report is important reading for practitioners, policy makers and managers in social services, and their equivalents in a range of other agencies involved in child protection. It is also valuable reading for social work academics and students interested in the area of domestic violence.

Captain Snow, a veteran police officer and acclaimed author of Protecting Your Life, Home, and Property, gives us a startling look, as only a police officer can, at the violence, tears, and terror that shatter homes and lives across America, and tells us what we can do about it. Walking us through the course of a regular night shift, we witness, first-hand, tragic and vividly real scenes of abuse that are becoming all too commonplace. We learn the heart-wrenching story of a woman who has suffered burns, broken limbs, and even a fractured skull at the hands of her brutal husband, but is too terrified to report his crimes. We see the chilling evidence of neglect in a bare, airless, padlocked room where a son has imprisoned his elderly mother without sufficient food, medicine, or human contact, awaiting her death. And we hear the stuttered excuses of a father lying about the scald marks on his baby's legs as the child screams in agony. Abusers, we discover, come from every walk of life, and no one is untouched by the powerful consequences of violence, neglect, and emotional and sexual abuse in this country. Snow goes on to reveal the tactics of violence and terror these abusers all wield - whether against a parent, wife, or child. More importantly, he shows that this hateful legacy of abuse need not continue. At the heart of this book is an urgent, persistent question: How can we stop these horrible crimes? With an insider's knowledge forged from years of experience on the police force, combined with in-depth research, Snow provides a refreshingly practical perspective: tough solutions to conquer this growing crime. Taking on the ranks of the police, the courts, and public education, he sounds a clarion call for reform and reeducation. Captain Snow also gives invaluable advice - in this less-than-perfect world - to victims and their loved ones on how they can now use the police and legal system to their best advantage in fighting against abuse.

"Lynne Baker shows her compassion and determination to wake the religious and secular communities to action and care. " -- Len Matthews, Salvation Army

This book takes a very real look into the lives of Christian women who cope with domestic abuse on a daily basis. It explores their experiences of physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, financial, and spiritual abuse at the hands of their perpetrator husbands who claim themselves to be good Christians. Through extensive interviews combined with academic research, the reader comes face to face with the complexity of issues surrounding such domestic abuse and how counselling can be effective through the encouragement of a variety of religious and non-religious coping strategies. Of interest to victims of domestic abuse, as well as to the members of the clergy, psychologists, and counsellors, this book shows there is a place in the Christian church for women to separate and to be divorced without losing their faith.